Enterprise Holdings’ conversations and presentations at this year’s annual Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) convention focused on three critical issues: duty of care, innovative technology and customer experience.

The 2019 GBTA convention, held in Chicago, drew a crowd of more than 7,000 travel professionals and industry leaders. And its theme – “Evolve” – recognized how business travel is being redefined and transformed by emerging technologies, noted speaker Chrissy Taylor, president and COO at Enterprise Holdings.

According to the GBTA 2018 Omnibus Survey, 80% of respondents said safety, service, and technology were among the most important factors when selecting a ground transportation partner. "Those three factors also represent the underpinnings of duty of care in the travel industry,” Taylor said during her remarks. “So we are continually working and evolving to meet those responsibilities and demands.”

For example, several of Enterprise Holdings’ industry-leading business travel initiatives include:

• The No. 1 ranked National app, which is designed to provide business travelers with a single point of contact to manage all aspects of the rental experience.

• The company’s recent acquisition of Deem, which allows Enterprise to stay at the forefront of innovative solutions for the business traveler. The travel platform includes Deem Work Fource and Deem Ground Work – a suite of online booking and travel technology products for business travelers, travel managers, travel management companies and suppliers.

• The National Car Rental brand’s launch of “National Car and Driver,” which helps business travelers to China book transportation, either directly through the Deem Work Fource application or through their travel management partner. 

In addition, Enterprise Holdings has spent more than $3 billion on acquisitions and corporate-venture capital investments or commitments in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Ireland, Spain, Brazil, and China. Such acquisitions and partnerships enhance services available to customers and position the company as a long-term industry leader in mobility and innovation – regardless of whether vehicles are rented by the hour, day, week or longer.

Ease & Safety

Mike Guadagnoli, VP of global strategic sales at Enterprise Holdings, participated in a GBTA panel about “Making the Road Warrior's Journey Easier.” The discussion likewise focused on how innovative uses of technology – along with wellness and data management – can benefit road warriors.

Enterprise Holdings also headlined a GBTA education panel called "What's a Woman to Do? Addressing Traveler Safety for Women on the Road.” The session – sponsored by Deem – included Amanda Armstrong, assistant VP of global travel and meetings at Enterprise Holdings, and Tahnee Perry, VP of marketing at Deem, among the panel members. They addressed the growing number of safety risks for business travelers and the responsibility of companies to update travel-risk mitigation and duty of care policies to better protect customers.

Armstrong, who manages and books travel for Enterprise Holdings employees, stressed the importance for travel, tourism, and hospitality suppliers to provide resources and education to leisure and business travelers.